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December 22, 2009
Chickadees: Winter Survivors
Unlike many birds that make risky journeys of thousands of miles
to winter in the tropics, chickadees take their chances right at
home throughout the winter. Boreal Chickadees can survive
temperatures of minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit! To ensure a food supply
throughout winter, chickadees hide insects and seeds and can recover
them a month later. To save energy at night, Black-capped Chickadees
lower their body temperature by 18-22 degrees Fahrenheit. By
choosing good roost holes and lowering their body temperatures,
Carolina Chickadees can conserve 50% of their energy reserves and
survive temperatures at night that would be lethal by day. To learn
more about five species of chickadees, including how to identify all
of them, visit the All About Birds chickadee and titmouse page.
 Take Our Winter Survival
Challenge!
What have you noticed about how birds survive the winter in your
neighborhood? Send your photo, note, or art work to the Celebrate
Urban Birds Survival Challenge. You could win binoculars from Eagle
Optics, The Bird Watching Answer Book, or other great prizes! Find out how.
 Science News: Females Become
Sexual Showoffs in Cooperative Breeding Species
In the bird world, it's usually the males who are showiest, with
colorful plumage, fancy tail feathers, and chest-puffing courtship
dances to win their mates. But among African starlings that breed
cooperatively in groups, female competition leads them to evolve the
same showy plumage as males, according to a new study coauthored by
Dustin Rubenstein at Columbia University and Irby Lovette at the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Learn more.
Five Tips for Better Bird Photography
   
Join photographer Marie Read as she braves wintry Upstate New
York to give you tips on photographing birds. Get tips and watch the video.
 A Few of Our Favorites
Pure footage and sounds of birds, from eagles and eiders to
swallows and robins. Watch the video.
 Birdseye iPhone App Puts
Local Bird Knowledge in Your Pocket
Find the bird you want with this new app that uses eBird data to
tell you where the birds are and that provides you with maps and
directions to get there. You can see photos of each species, listen
to recordings of the birds singing and calling, and read tips on
behavior and habitat written by birding veteran Kenn Kaufman. Learn more.
Unchop a Tree
Renowned artist Maya Lin debuted a new video, "Unchop a Tree," in
Copenhagen last week. The video is the latest iteration of Lin's
last memorial, called "What is Missing?" The Cornell Lab is
collaborating with Lin on "What is Missing?" by providing sounds for
powerful exhibits to heighten the awareness of extinction and steps
people can take to protect the planet. Watch a CNN interview with Maya Lin, along
with footage of wildlife from "What is Missing?" Watch "Unchop a Tree."
 Watch Endangered Forest
Elephants on January 3
Join the CBS 60 Minutes crew as they travel to the Central
African Republic with the Cornell Lab's Elephant Listening Project.
Tune in to "60 Minutes" on January 3 to learn about
the remarkable story of endangered forest elephants, their
intelligence, and complex interactions in the wild.
Happy holidays from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology! We thank you
for a wonderful 2009 and look forward to another meaningful year
with you in 2010.
Carolina Chickadee by Bob Vuxinic, Birdshare; House Finch by
Patrick Ready, Great Backyard Bird
Count; Superb Starlings by birdchick1; Bohemian Waxwing by Joanne
Bovee; Fox Sparrow by Jean Kuns; Swallow-tailed Kite by David Cree, BirdShare; Cedar Waxwings by
The Nature Nook, BirdShare;
Forest elephants by Peter Wrege, Cornell Lab of
Ornithology. |
Please make a year-end gift today
2009 has been a tremendous
year of exploration and discovery, engagement and education for the
Cornell Lab and its supporters. We rely on tax-deductible gifts from
our participants and members to keep providing the best science, web
tools, and outreach programs for birders. Please click here to give a year-end gift today—we
sincerely appreciate your support.
Credit for photo below: Magnificent
Riflebird by Eric Liner
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